Molly-Jane Walter

Prologue

My name is Molly-Jane Walter. I am ten years old, and an orphan. My parents died from Scarlet Fever when I was one. My Uncle, John Miller, and his wife, Aunt Rita, took me in and looked after me. From what I remember, Uncle John was a very kind man. I remember he had a strange laugh, for it was so very loud, that at times, it frightened me. But his laugh was my favourite thing about him. I was not accustomed to hearing such a strange laugh, and it took many days before I grew to like the sound of it. My Aunt and Uncle had three children, Desmond, Gemma, and Katherine. I was very happy with my uncle. He and Aunt Rita and my cousins lived at StoneHill Manor. However, my happiness was not to be. When I turned three, my uncle passed away from an unknown illness. That was when my aunt's true nature was revealed to me. She was cold-hearted and treated me as if I did not exist. I could not understand why she treated me so, for I had never done anything to cause her any displeasure. Alas, my cousins were also cruel to me. Desmond would hit me, scream at me, and make me the centre of his displeasure, while Gemma and Katherine laughed and made fun of me when their brother abused me. Aunt Rita paid no attention to her children's horrid behaviour towards me. She merely turned a blind eye if anything out of the ordinary came into fruition. This is my childhood. The childhood of Molly-Jane Walter.